India lost the fourth Test match against England and eventually the series 3-1, this past week. For India, it was Ravi Shastri who presided over the press conference, two days before the final Test starts. There are a lot of issues the Indian team needs to address, during the match and after it; however, the Indian coach seemed to deal in rhetorics only.

Talking about India’s performance in the Test series, Shastri said, “It is not about just competing, it is about completing the game, from here on. The endeavour is to learn and understand where you made mistakes; take it head on and try to correct it. The fact of the matter is that you had a chance.”

Defending India’s poor performances in the series, Ravi Shastri said, “The scoreline says 3-1, which means India have lost the series. What the scoreline doesn’t say is India could have been 3-1, or 2-2, and my team knows it.”

The Indian coach, however, forgot that India was nowhere close in the first three Test matches. The scoreline doesn’t show any resilience shown by the Indian team, because there wasn’t any.

The margins of loses would have been smaller, but then it was due to the efforts of the pace quartet. The bowlers kept bringing back India in the game; where batsmen failed to take any onus and lost their wickets, and the match eventually.

Speaking in plain rhetoric, the Indian coach tried to spin a web of words and junk the reality in hand. Shastri said, “They would have been hurt and rightly so after the last game, but this is a team that will not throw in the towel. It will come out there to compete. And it will not look to be on the first flight home, rest assured.”

Ravi Shastri did try to cover the recent failures of the Indian team. While doing so, he said, “If you look at the last three years, we have won nine matches overseas and three series. I can’t see any other India team in the last 15-20 years who had that kind of run in such a short time, and the team had some of the great players.”

However, the truth is that, out of those nine matches, India won one each against England and South Africa; five against Sri Lanka; and two against West Indies. It is a known fact how the quality in the Windies and Lankan team have deteriorated after the retirement of their key players.

What Shastri didn’t mention was that India lost to England and South Africa, and failed to beat Bangladesh during the same period. If Shastri’s definition of India being world-beaters is measured by defeating Sri Lanka and West Indies, then the Indian team really doesn’t have any problem to ponder upon, at the moment.

Ahead of the fifth Test, Shastri did try to infuse motivation in the team and highlight the grit they have (not) displayed. He said, “The promise is there, and it is just getting tougher mentally. You have got to be hurt when you lose such matches because that’s when you look within and come out with the right answer to combat such situations and get past the finishing line. One day you will, as long as you believe.”

However, how much of resolve and promise has the Indian team shown in overseas Tests since Kohli took over is for everyone to see. Only the current crop of bowlers have gone from strengths to strengths. In the same time, the batting quality has let the match slip away after having the upper hand initially.

On being asked upon his views about the retiring Alastair Cook, Shastri said, “I saw his first Test match, he got a hundred in Nagpur. He has been England’s one of the greatest cricketers.”

Here's what Ravi Shashtri Said Ahead of India's Final Test Against England:

How much has the Indian team learnt or how much of resolve they are trying to show in their game will be seen, soon, as India and England will play their final match of the series, starting from Friday, i.e. September 7! Stay tuned with us for all the latest updates about India vs England Test Series 2018!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 06, 2018 05:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).